A former teacher at Zion-Benton and Grayslake North high schools has pleaded not guilty to sex charges involving a student he met at the Zion school, according to Lake County prosecutors.
Scott Thompson, 28, of Round Lake Heights, was arraigned on the charges Wednesday in Lake County Circuit Court.
Thompson is charged with seven counts of criminal sexual assault of a victim between the ages of 13 and 17, a felony carrying a potential prison sentence of four to 15 years upon conviction.
He also pleaded not guilty to two counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse, carrying a potential prison sentence of four to 15 years in prison, and obstructing justice, a misdemeanor that can result in probation or up to a year in jail.
According to a grand jury indictment of Thompson handed down in April, the felony charges involved sexual acts between June 1, 2014, and July 7, 2015, with a female minor who was at least 13 but under 18. The charges specify that Thompson held a “position of trust, authority or supervision” over the alleged victim.
The obstruction charge involved his alleged instructions to the victim in March of this year “to delete incriminating text messages,” according to the indictment.
Prosecutors said Thompson met the alleged victim while he was a teacher and she was a student at Zion-Benton High School, and that the incidents continued to occur after he left Zion-Benton for a position at Grayslake North.
The Round Lake Heights Police Department was involved in the investigation leading to the charges.
Thompson’s next scheduled court appearance is a case management hearing July 19.
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